We're All In This Together
by MikennaPorter
Summary: Set 22 years after the events of HSM 3. The story follows Troy and Gabriella's daughter as she navigates through her senior year of high school at East High. Will she be the basketball star, like her dad, or will she choose a different path?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: The First Last Day of High School **

I wake up in the morning the same old same old routine. Get dressed grab some breakfast and then go to school. Well this year is going to be different. How you might ask? Well today is the start of my senior year at East High. It's my last first day of high school! I'm so excited yet nervous at the same time. To make things worse, I'm going to the same school both of my parents graduated from. If you are thinking that I am under a lot of pressure you would be right. It's not like my mom was the super genius in the school, or that my dad was the basketball star that led East High to win back to back championships two years in a row. Oh, wait that is me. Talk about a lot of pressure. Anyways you get the point. I'm the daughter of Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez, both of which are amazingly successful. It is too much pressure.  
My dad up until last year played for the Lakers. He suffered a pretty bad blow to his knees and had surgery and extensive therapy to strengthen both of his knees. But he now just recruits players and still does all the publicity junk. I'm not complaining but imagine the pressure that I am under when it comes to basketball. And my mom, well she is a lawyer at an amazing law firm. She went to Stanford and well she is a super-genius, but surprisingly my parents don't put any pressure on me, I already do that myself.  
So as you can see that's my life. Normal and ordinary, okay not so much. And then there are the pesky brothers I forgot to mention. Well I have three brothers. All of them are younger than me, and super irritating at times. First there is my oldest brother Zachary. He is fourteen years old, and in eighth grade. He is probably the nicest of my brothers. He and I get along really well. He, like myself does well in school and plays basketball pretty well (he's not quite as good as me but is a close second). I could see him one day going pro. Anyhow he is not the average younger brother, I really do enjoy hanging out with him, and he doesn't bug me to the point of exasperation, not yet anyhow.  
Then there are the other two. Well the next one is actually Zachary's twin brother. His name is Caleb. He is the complete opposite of Zach. He does irritate me sometimes, but it's because he thinks that he is just like me but doesn't seem to realize that he is still in middle school. It is hard to be the oldest, but I do my best at it anyhow. Caleb is one of those brother's that even though he might bring me to the point of exasperation, he is a good kid. Then there's my youngest brother, Zander. Zander, we call him Zane for short, is a typical, annoying sixth grader. He thinks that he can rule the world, just because he is in middle school. He hasn't figured himself out just yet. Boys, they really can be annoying. Anyhow he is a mix of Zach and Caleb when it comes to personality, which in some ways is good and in other ways not so good. It all depends on the day.  
Really, I do love my brothers even when they irritate me to my breaking point. What can I say, they are really sweet brothers, and I at least have it better than some of my friends.  
I then start getting ready. Today, like I have said before is the start of my senior year. It's make it or break it time. I then put on the perfect outfit and put on a thin layer of makeup. I then go downstairs. Once I get down there, I hear the voices of my parents. I then go into the kitchen to get some coffee.  
"Good morning, Jessie", my mom says.

"Good morning," I say.

"I can't believe that she is a senior", my dad says.

"Well, she had to grow up at some point," my mom says.

"Yeah, I guess so," I say.

"Well the good thing is that you have been practicing all summer for basketball season," dad says. Not again. I thought we had discussed that I really did not want to play this season. I'm burned out. I've been playing basketball since I could walk. I need some time to just be a high school student and enjoy life.

"Yeah," I say, "hopefully I can land a couple of scholarships."

"And maybe make it into the WNBA," my dad adds with a hopeful tone. I don't think that's such a good idea. I'm good, but not _that _good. And besides, I don't think I want to make a career out of basketball. Maybe as a plan B, but it's definitely not my first choice.

"Dad, I don't think that I want to do that." I say.

"Well, at least keep your options open." He says. "It would be good for you to get into to it at least."

"We'll see." I say.

"Alright." He says. "Would you do me a favor and make sure your brothers are up. I don't want them to be late."

"Ok," I say.

I then go back upstairs to my brother's rooms. When I walk into Zach and Caleb's room, I am very careful. First off, I don't want to trip over their mess, and two it is really dark in here. I then go over to Caleb's bed. I shove him to wake up.

"Mom, five more minutes." He says sleepily.

"One it's not mom, and two you need to wake up it is already seven o'clock." I say.

"Then who are you?" He asks

"Jessie," I say.

"Oh." He says. "I guess I better get up."

"Yeah, you might want to," I say. " Do you know where Zach is?"

"No." He says.

"Ok, well thanks for the help," I say sarcastically. I then walk out of the room, and walk into Zane's room. When I walk in, he is just standing in his room with his boxers on.

"Get out!" He yells.

"Sorry," I say. I then walk out. As I back out of his room, I run right into Zach. "I'm so sorry."

"You're good." He says with a laugh. "I probably should've warned you that Zane would be in his boxers."

"Yeah, that might have been a good idea, but it's alright," I say. "I changed his diapers. "

"Ok, but he seemed to care." He says.

"Yeah, I think that the whole world knows," I say.

"It's too bad that we won't be at East High together." He says.

"Yeah, but this way you are at the top in middle school," I say.

"True." He says.

"I didn't think about that. Plus, you and Caleb will have East High all to yourselves, until Zane is old enough to come there." I say.

"Yeah." He says.

I then walk into my room and grab a bag and a couple of other things that I will need for school. I then walk down the stairs and go into the kitchen and start making a smoothie. I then pour the mixture into a cup and take a sip of it.

"I don't see how all you eat for breakfast is a smoothie," Zach says.

"Well, she is a girl." My mom says.

"Besides, I like smoothies," I say.

"What did you put in it?" He asks.

"Fruit, and juice," I say. " Do you want some, you can have what's left in the blender?"

"Sure, I'll try some." He says. He then gets out a glass and pours the rest of the smoothie mixture into the cup. He then takes a sip.

"So, what do you think?" I ask.

"It's pretty good." He says.

"See, I told you," I say with a smile. A little time goes by and then I leave to take my brothers to school.  
When I reach the middle school, I drop them off.

"I hope you guys have a great day," I say.

"You too," Zach says. I then drive off. I then head over to my school which is about a ten minute drive depending on traffic. This morning, I think that it is going to be much worse.  
I am stuck sitting through three red lights before I am able to turn into my school. When I get there I pull into a parking space and walk into the school. When I get to the entrance, I see Chris Danforth, the son of Chad and Taylor, standing there with two cups of coffee in his hand. He is so thoughtful; I think to myself.  
"Hey, I thought that you were never going to show up." He says.

"I'm sorry, I had to drop off my brothers," I say. "And the traffic was horrendous."

"Well, I got you some coffee." He says. He then hands me a cup.

"Thanks," I say as I give him a hug. "You are the best, best friend in the history of best friends."

"You're welcome, but we were destined to be best friends." He says.

"True, but just because our parents are great friends didn't mean that we had to." I say. "other than the fact that we have known each other since we were in diapers."

"Yeah, exactly." He says.

"I guess it was destined for us to be friends," I say with a smile. The bell then rings. "But if we don't get to class, we both will be destined for detention." We both laugh and go to our first class of the day.

It is so great to have a friend like Chris; we really have been friends since birth. Our moms would always set play dates up for us. We were destined to be friends from the start. Our parents have been best friends since high school. At first, I thought that he was so weird but eventually I realized what a great friend he really is, and I think that he would feel the same way.  
Once school lets out, I go home. I then start on my homework. I don't really have that much, but I knew that I should start it now rather than waiting until two o clock in the morning.

Once I have finished my homework, I go downstairs and see my brothers playing basketball outside on our court. I then walk out there.  
"Hey, are you guys having fun?" I ask.

"Yeah, do you want to play?" Zane asks.

"I don't know," I say.

"Why not, come on, it would be fun," Caleb says.

"Unless you're afraid that you'll lose," Zach says.

Guys, you all know how competitive I am." I say.

"Which is why you should play," Zach says.

"Alright, but I need to change, I'll be back in two seconds," I say as I run inside the house to change.  
When I come back, my dad is standing there. "Wait so you guys decided to kick me out of the game?"

"No, dad wanted to play too," Zach says.

"Oh, wait where did Zane go?" I ask.

"He went inside, he said that he had too much homework," Caleb says.

"Poor guy, first day of middle school and he already has homework," I say.

"Are you going to play?" Dad asks.

"Yeah," I say. "Have you all already picked teams?"

"No, we were waiting on you," Caleb says.  
"Ok, so how about dad and Jess, versus Caleb and me", Zach says.

"Wait that isn't fair," Caleb says.  
"How?" Zach asks.

"She has dad," Caleb says.

"But she's a girl," Zach says.  
"True, we should be able to beat them," Caleb says. "Besides, dad is old anyhow."

"Are you two girls ready to play?" I ask.

"You're the only girl out here." Caleb says.

"I know that." I say. We then start the game. At first, they kind of go easy on us until they remember that I play pretty well and, dad, despite being nearly 40 years old and having injured knees is still really good. They then press us just a little bit harder. In the end we beat them.

"Good job, Jess." My dad says.

"Thanks dad, you did really well out there too." I say.

"Well the only reason that you won, was because you had a pro on your team." Caleb says.

"You guys have to remember I'm not as young as I used to be." Dad says.

"I had forgotten that Jess has been playing since she could walk." Caleb says.

"Yeah well, y'all did too." I say.

"She does have a point." Zach says. We all then go inside. Mom is in the kitchen fixing dinner.

"Mom, do you need any help?" I ask.

"No, I think I've got it, thank you though." She says.

"I could use some company though. Ok, how was your day?" I ask.

"It was work." She says. "How was your day?"

"Mom, it was school." I say. "It wasn't all that bad I suppose."

"Well, that's good." She says. "East High is a great school, I'm glad that you were able to go there."

"Me too." I say.

"Maybe you'll meet your true love, like I did." She says.

"But you met him at a ski lodge." I say.

"Yeah, but it was fate that I just happened to move here and go to the same school as your father." She says.

"It is sort of magical. I love hearing about how you met." I say. "I think that it is sweet."

"Me too." She says. "I hope that you find someone just as great if not better than your father."

"That might be hard to do", my dad says.

"Troy", Mom says.

"What, it's the truth", he says.

"You are too full of yourself, Troy Bolton." Mom says. He then kisses her.  
"I remember when you would yell out gross every time, we would kiss in front of you." He says.

"Yeah, well what can I say, I'm growing up dad." I say.

"That you are." He says. "Man, it feels like just yesterday, you were a little girl and now you're a senior in high school."

"It was bound to happen one day." I say.

"That is true, Troy." Mom says. "She can't stay a little girl forever."

"Well, at least she hasn't dated any guys yet." Dad says.

"Dad, I think that most guys are terrified of you." I say.

"They probably are, and they should be, I don t want anyone to hurt my little girl, no matter how old you become", he says.

"It's good to know that someone has my back." I say.

"I think that we all have your back." Zach says.

"You guys are so crazy." I say.

"Well, we are a crazy family." Caleb says.

"True." I say.


	2. Chapter 2

**I wanted to thank you all for reading the first chapter. I had published this story a while back but was looking back through it and wanted to make some changes. Again, thank you and R & R! Until next time...**

* * *

**Chapter Two: Young Love **

It feels like just yesterday that I started my senior year. I then look at my phone, and the date is October 16, man its already been a month. People weren't kidding when they said that senior year flew by really fast. I then walk into the school and go to my locker. I then grab out a notebook and then gently shut it. As I close it, I see Chris appear out of nowhere. I jump just a little.  
"Did I scare you?" He asks with a slight laugh.  
"No, more like startled me." I say.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." He says with a smile.

"It's fine." I say with a smile.

"Can I walk you to class?" He asks.

"I don't know, can you?" I ask.

"That's what I just asked." He says. I roll my eyes and walk off. Sometimes, he just doesn't get it. He quickly follows behind me. "Good grief, Jess, you walk really fast."

"I have long legs." I say. "Why do you walk so slow?"

"A minute ago, were you trying to correct my grammar?" He asks.

"Yes, the correct way to phrase the question would be may I." I say. Finally, he gets it! Sometimes, I wonder why we're friends.

"Oh, I'm wish I was a genius like you are." He says.

"You are smart, Chris." I say.

"Says the girl that makes straight A's and barely studies." He says.

"I do study." I say. "But I also pay attention in class."

"I do too." He says.

"I never said that you didn't." I say. We then walk into our first period class, drama. I still cannot understand why I decided to take the class, but at least it is an easy A.

The teacher, Ms. Darbus, an eccentric woman with light blonde hair and glasses, walks to the front of the classroom. I'm honestly shocked she still teaches at the school. Dad said she was there when he was at East High and that has been like twenty years ago. "Good morning students," she dramatically says, "today I decided to let you all have a study hall, since tomorrow is the auditions for the musical. I hope that each and every one of you will consider auditioning for a part." She then walks off to her desk and everyone goes back to talking to each other.

"So, why do you think that she is so persistent on having people audition?" Chris asks.  
"I don't know, maybe there are a lot of parts this year." I say.  
"Well, I know that I for one will not be auditioning for the musical." He says.  
"Why not?" I ask.  
"Seriously, think about it." He says. "I don't want to spend all my free afternoons having to sing show tunes. Besides, basketball season is about to start up."

"True, but I think that she gives out extra credit." I say.

"But this class is pretty easy." He says.  
"True, but extra credit always helps." I say.  
"I can't even sing." He says.  
"Well, I wouldn't know because you won't sing in public." I say.  
"True, but neither will you." He says.  
"I am shy, I have an excuse. What's yours?" I say.  
"I don't want to." He says.  
"I guess that is a valid point." I say. "Well, I don't know about you, but I am going to put this study hall to use. I have a chemistry test today."

"Ok, well I'll leave you alone so that you can study." He says.

"Ok." I say. I then pull out my AP chemistry book out of my book bag and start re-reading the chapter.  
Before I know it, class is over. I then clean up my stuff and head onto the rest of my classes that I have today. The rest of the day drags by ever so slowly, and finally after the painfully slow day I go out to the parking lot and get in my car to go home. I then glance at my phone and see that I have a text from my dad. It says 'Could you pick your brothers up for me?' I then send back 'Sure'. I then head over to the middle school, which is about a five-minute drive. When I get there, I see Zane standing in the parking lot.

"Hey, buddy, I hope you weren't waiting too long." I say.

"I thought that dad was picking me up." He says as he gets in the car.

"Me too." I say. "But he must have had a change of plans."

"Zach, said that he has going to find Caleb." He says. "He was probably flirting with some girls."

"You're probably right." I say. "How was school?"

"It was alright," he says. "It's harder than I thought it would be, though."

"Once you get the hang of it, you'll be a pro."

"I hope you're right."

"You've got this, Zane. I know you do."

"Oh, there they are now." Zane says.

"Jess, I thought-" Caleb starts saying.  
"That dad was going to pick you up?" I say.  
"Yeah, how did you know that I was going to say that?" He asks.  
"Woman's intuition, no just kidding." I say. " Zane actually told me."

Then both Caleb and Zach get into the car. I then leave the school and head on home. Once we are at the house, I go into my room and begin working on homework. It takes a while to get through some of the calculus, but eventually I finish up. I then start on the rest of my homework. I then hear a knock on the door.

"Come in." I say. Then Zach walks into my room.  
"Are you busy?" He asks.  
"Not really." I say. "What do you need?"

"I needed a little bit of advice, but it can wait." He says.

"No, it's fine, I needed a break anyways." I say.

"Ok, so there's this girl at school, named Hannah, she is beautiful and so smart, and I really like her." He says. "But I can't tell if she likes me back."  
"Well, how does she act around you?" I ask.  
"She always is smiling and laughing." He says. "She seems to enjoy being around me."

"It sounds like she might like you." I say. "I think that you should ask her out."

"I don't know, what if she says no." He says.

"Fine, then how about you hang out with her outside of school, to get to know her a little bit better, and let fate bring you together." I say.

"I like that idea better." He says. "Besides, I can't drive yet anyhow."  
"Oh, yeah, I keep forgetting that." I say.

"Yeah, and you're supposed to be the smart one." He says.

"Hey." I say.

"I was joking." He says.

"Sure, you were." I say. "Do you have her number?"

"No." He says.

"Why not?" I ask.

"I haven't asked her." He says.

"Well, you should, that also helps break the ice." I say.

"Ok, thank you for the advice." He says.

"It's no problem, I just want everything to turn out well for you." I say with a smile.

"You really are a good sister." He says.

"Thanks, you're a good brother too." I say.

"Thanks." He says. "So, how's your love life going?"

"Same as always." I say. "There's nothing worth talking about."

"I'm surprised that you and Chris aren't together yet." He says.

"We are just friends." I say.

"But the way that you two act around each other is more than friendly." He says.

"Well, you are more observant than I give you credit for." I say.

"Thanks." He says. He then gets up from my bed and starts to walk off. "But just so you know, I think that you and Chris should date."

"We'll see, but I don't think that, that will happen." I say.

He then leaves the room. The thought of Chris and I dating, that seems bizarre, we have been friends for as long as I can remember. We've been through everything together, but I don't really think that it would be wise for us to date, it would probably mess up our friendship anyhow, and I for one, wouldn't want that. It just isn't worth it for the two of us to be together. He deserves someone much better than me. I don't even deserve someone like him. He is too good for me. I think, at least for now, we should simply be friends and nothing more. Why mess up a good thing? That just doesn't seem right.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: The Start of Basketball Season**

Basketball, basketball, basketball. That's all that everyone in my house, besides my mom, has been talking about for the past few days. My dad keeps asking me if I am going to tryout. I know that in the end I will. I don't want to though.  
Every single season, I say that I will not play the next and I end up doing it anyhow. I guess I am destined to play, since my dad was in the NBA. And of course, as he has for the past three years now, he is coaching for East High. I don't know why though. I guess he needs something to do since he was basically forced to retire.  
I walk down the stairs to the kitchen where my whole family is at eating breakfast. "So, Jess, have you decided what you are going to do?" My dad asks.  
"I don't know, I guess that I probably will end up playing." I say.

"Well, even if you change your mind, it would do you good to at least come to tryouts." He says. "I am not going to just give you a spot on the team."

"Wait, you're coaching the girl's team this year?" I ask in disbelief.

"Yeah, I was asked if I wanted to, and I thought with it being your last season, that I should go ahead and do it." He says.

"Ok, well that's no pressure." I say sarcastically.

"But, really Jess if you don't want to play, don't just play because I am the coach." He says. Way to make me feel bad, dad.

"I know, I just need to think about it." I say.

"What is there to think about?" Caleb asks. "I didn't even have to think about it, it was a done deal for me." Of course, he feels that way.

"It's just, it's my last year of high school." I say. "I've been playing for almost seventeen years, even when it was just for fun."

"It can be easy to get burned out from playing." My mom adds.

"But, it's just so fun." Caleb says.

"Well, I know that I'm not playing in the pro's anyhow." I say. "But I'll at least come to tryouts today."

"That's my girl." My dad says.

For the next little bit, we all engage in small talk. Zane tells us all about how he has a huge history test today, and Caleb just has to one up him, which is completely unnecessary, but my brothers all have act like life has to be a competition. I think that it is kind of funny. I just sit back and listen to them, even though it's kind of obnoxious, they are family and I love them very much.

"Well, as much as I would just love to sit here all day, we all have things that we need to do." My mom says.

"What time is it?" Zach asks.

"Eight o'clock." She says.

"I guess that we need to be leaving." Caleb says.

"No, we have all day." Zach says sarcastically.

"Come on guys." Dad says. "I'll take you to school." Then dad and my brothers leave the house.

"So, what time do you have to go to work?" I ask.

"I don't have to be there until nine." She says. "But don't you need to be leaving?"

"Not yet, school doesn't start until eight thirty for me." I say. "I have a few minutes."

"Ok, just don't be late." She says.

"I won't, don't worry." I say.

"So, have you decided where you are applying for college?" She asks.

"I was thinking Stanford, and a few others, but I really was hoping Stanford." I say.

"Well, I am honored that you are considering going to my Alma mater." She says.

"Yeah, I have the application almost filled out, I just have a little bit more to finish." I say.

"Well, I hope that you can get in." She says.

"Me too." I say with a smile. "It would be an awesome opportunity."

"It really would be." She says. "And if you need any help, let me know."

"I will." I say with a smile. "Well, I need to get to school, I'll see you later."

"Alright, I hope that you have a good day." She says.

"You too." I say.

I then walk out of the house and get in my car to head to school. The school day goes by surprisingly pretty fast, and before I know it, it is time for basketball tryouts. I am so dreading going to them.

People at these tryouts have been pretty competitive and just plain out mean for many seasons, but with my dad being the coach this season, I have a feeling that it will be worse. I know that every girl will want to play, since for some reason every girl at school goes on and on about how cute my dad is. He's forty for crying out loud, he isn't actually young, but he isn't really all that old either.

I make my way to the locker room to change into some clothes that I can play basketball in. The locker room is full of girls, some of which I honestly don't think can play basketball. Or at least I have never seen them play. A girl with fake blonde hair walks over to me and says "So, is it true that Troy Bolton is the new basketball coach this year?"

"Yes, Veronica." I say with a smile. She's one of those girls I was talking about.

"It's really cool having a retired pro basketball player as our coach this year." She says.

"It really is." I say. She is so annoying, and fake. She will act like she likes you, just for a moment to get what she wants. I know for sure that she has never played basketball before. I know three years ago, I asked her about playing, and she said that she never wanted to touch a basketball. She also proceeded to say that she didn't want to have to sweat. So, I am really surprised that she decided to play this season. It must be because of my dad, which is so gross.

A few minutes pass by, and then I walk into the gym where I see my dad, and Chad, his best friend since forever, standing near the bleachers. I then decide to walk over to them. "What are you doing here Uncle Chad?" I ask.

"I decided to help your dad out, besides I always look for any opportunity to play basketball." He says.

"True." I say with a smile. I then look at my dad and say,

"So, are there a lot of girl's trying out?"

"Yeah." He says. "On my list there are twenty, but I have a feeling that there will be more than that."

"Yeah, so what are you going to do, most of these girls as far as I know have never played before." I say.

"I don't know, I was thinking about giving them a chance at least, but really I will probably only be taking the girls that are really good." He says.

"And besides, you only need fifteen for a team anyhow, so I would say cut the ones that are pathetic and keep the ones that are either good, or you see potential in them." Chad says.

"That's easier to do, when you aren't the one dealing with a bunch of girls getting mad at you." Dad says.

"You could let Jess break the news." Chad says with a laugh.

"How about no." I say.

"Why not, they would probably be less mad at you." Chad says.

"I sincerely doubt that." I say.

"Yeah, most of those girls won't listen to anyone anyways." Dad says. "I know, because I teach a few of them."

"Well, maybe they all won't be horrible." Chad says.

"Let's hope not." Dad says.

"What's taking those girl's so long?"

"They were touching up their makeup when I was in the locker room." I say. Uncle Chad rolls his eyes.

"Oh, great, their makeup will end up getting messed up anyhow," Chad says.

"Exactly." Dad says.

A few minutes later, we start practice. "Alright, I need a show of hands, how many of you have played basketball before." My dad says. Only about ten out of nearly forty girls raise their hand. "Alright, those of you will come with me, except for Jessica." He then motions for me to come over to him. "I need you to do me a favor."

"What is it?" I ask.  
"I need both you and Chad to work with the other girls, because there are a bunch of them, and I know that Chad won't be able to handle it by himself." He says.  
"Don't you have an assistant?" I ask.

"Not yet, they are working on finding me one, I told Principal Reynolds not to even worry about it, because I knew that if I needed to, I could just let you run the practices or whatever." He says.

"Okay, well I guess that you have the easy job." I say.  
"Not really." He says.  
"Okay, whatever." I say. I then run over to the other end of the court with Chad and the other girls that are trying out. "So, your dad told you, that I needed some help didn't he." Chad says.  
"Yes, but if you really don't need me, it's fine. " I say.  
"No, I actually told him that I wanted you to help me." He says.  
"Oh, okay." I say. The rest of the practice goes by, and a few of the girls were actually pretty good, especially considering they had very little experience playing. There were of course, some players that were not the best. I guess that they have to start from somewhere. "Alright, we will try to have the list posted tomorrow for those who made the team." Chad says. The girls then walk off. "So,what did you think?"

"Well, there were about ten of them, that really were pretty good." I say. "They definitely wouldn't be starters, but they are also freshmen, so they have room for improvement."

"Yeah, I think that our job is done." He says. "I'll just need to talk with your dad about it."

"Alright, well I am going to go home, I have some homework that I need to be working on." I say.

"I wish that you would rub off on Chris." He says.

"He really isn't that bad of a student." I say.

"But it's a pain to get him to do his homework." He says.

"Well, not everyone enjoys school." I say.  
"You have got that one right." Chad says. "I hated school."  
"Well, I'll see you later." I say.  
"See yah." He says. I then grab my gym bag and go out to my car. The ride home is short, and there really isn't any traffic, I make it home in ten minutes. I then walk in the door and go upstairs and take a shower. A while later, after I have finished my homework. I go downstairs and see my brother's playing video games, I then walk over to the kitchen and see my mom making dinner.

"Do you need any help?" I ask.  
"I'm fine, but you are more than welcome to stay in here and keep me company." She says.  
"Sounds good to me." I say.  
"So how did tryouts go?" She asks.  
"They went fine." I say as I get a bottle of water out of the refrigerator.

"That's good, so do you think that the team will be any good?" She asks.

"Well, Lindsey, Brooke, Maddie, and Peyton all decided that they weren't playing this year." I say.

"Why?" She asks.

"They were really good."

"They told me that they were burned out." I say.

"That's too bad, so out of the ones that tried out, were any of them good?" She asks.

"We had a bunch of new players, and about a third of them were really good, but other than that, not really." I say.

"That's really too bad." She says. "I was hoping that you would have a really good team this year, especially with it being your senior year and all."

"Well, maybe despite talent, we will still do well." I say.

"Well, at least you are being optimistic, that's a good thing." She says.

"I try to be." I say with a smile.

"I wonder what your dad will end up saying." She says.

"I don't know." I say. "He worked with the good players and let Chad and me work with the ones that have little to no experience."

"Oh, well, then I guess that his part went well then." She says.

"Yeah, most likely." I say. "Well, how about tonight, you finish up your application to Stanford." She says.  
"I am almost finished with it." I say. "I just wish that I had a few more extra-curricular classes that I could add to it, to make it better." I say.  
"Sweetheart, you already have so much as it is." She says.  
"I know, but the more you have on there the better that it looks." I say.  
"Well, you can fill out what you have, and just see what they have to say." She says. "Alright, I will." I say.

"Good, and if I haven't ever told you this, I am so proud of the young lady that you have become." She says.  
"Thanks, mom." I say as I give her a hug.  
"It's no problem." She says. It makes me feel good knowing that my mom is proud of me, I mean she has done so much, and she is so brilliant, I feel so dumb when I am around her, but yet she is proud of me. That seems crazy to me! A little while later, I walk outside to get some fresh air, and I see Chris pull into my driveway. He then parks and gets out and comes over to where I am standing.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.  
"I just wanted to stop by, and see my best friend." He says.  
"Well, how about we come inside, it's a little bit chilly." I say. We then walk inside the house. We then go down to the basement that we turned into a game room.

"So, I didn't see you that much today." He says.

"Sorry, I had basketball tryouts." I say.  
"I know, I just missed hanging out with you today." He says.  
"I did too." I say. "We'll have to do something tomorrow after school then."

"Yeah, how about we go and get coffee." He says.

"I think that that would be a great idea." I say.

"Yeah, so you made the team, didn't you?" He asks.

"Probably, I honestly don't know." I say.

"My dad said that you had to show a bunch of people how to play." He says.

"Yeah, more than half of the girls at tryouts today, didn't know how to play, or weren't all that great at basketball." I say.

"Sounds like fun." He says. "Fortunately, we don't have try outs until next week."

"That's good, I have a feeling that some of the girls will have to go to tryouts tomorrow, so they can decide how to cut from the bad ones." I say.

"I feel bad for your dad." He says.

"Me too." I say. We then talk for a while, and before we know it, it is ten o'clock.

"Well, I probably should get going." He says.

"I wish that you didn't have to leave." I say.

"Me too, but we have school tomorrow." He says.

"I know, well I'll see you later." I say.

"Bye, Jess." He says. He then gives me a hug and leaves. I really enjoy spending with him, he makes me really happy when I am around him. I feel like everything in the world is so much better when I am with him. I truly am the luckiest girl in the entire world to have Chris Danforth as my best friend.

Thank you all for reading my story so far! i hope you continue to enjoy it. Let me know what you think. See you next week...


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:**

The next of school goes by quickly. I find out that I made the team—shocker, I know—and I then go to the parking lot to meet Chris. "Are you ready to go?" He asks.  
"Yeah." I say.  
"I'll drive, so that we can spend more time together." He says.  
"Are you sure?" I ask.  
"Yes, come on." He says. I then walk over to his car, and he opens the door for me.  
"Thank you." I say.  
"You're welcome." He says as he closes the door and gets in himself. We then drive to a coffee shop that is just a little way down the road.  
We then go inside and get in line to order.

"I'll have a caramel latte." He says. He then looks at me and says "What do you want?"  
"I can get mine." I say.  
"No, I'm getting it." He says.  
"You don't have to." I say.  
"I know, I want to." He says.  
"Alright, I'll have a caramel latte." I say. He pays and we then wait at the counter for our drinks.

"So, I heard that you made the team." He says.  
"Yeah, but I was kind of hoping that I wouldn't." I say.  
"Why?" He asks.  
"I wasn't going to go to college for basketball, and I just wanted a year to relax." I say. "Maybe take an extra AP course or do something different."  
"What is with you and wanting to take AP courses? I barely enjoy the classes I take now. But I guess I get it, I would love to take a break from basketball too," he says as he gets our drinks off of the counter. We then find a table and sit down. "I think that my dad is expecting me to follow in his footsteps."

"Well, you are really good." I say.  
"Not as good as you, though," he says. He always says things like that, but I don't think that it's true. I have been playing longer than him, but he's probably better than I will ever be. "But I was thinking about doing something else. I don't care anything about all of that fame. I think that it is kind of annoying."

"I know, before my dad retired, I couldn't go anywhere without someone taking my picture." I say. "Fortunately, it has died down within the last few months.

"I know what you mean, it's crazy how people act." He says. "It all kind of got on my last nerve."  
"So what are you thinking about doing?" I ask.  
"I'm not quite sure, I just want to make a difference in people's lives." He says.  
"That's awesome." I say.  
"So what about you?" He asks.  
"I haven't told anybody else, but I have always wanted to be a doctor." I say.  
"Wow, that sounds like a great idea." He says. "I know that you will be very good at it."

"Thanks." I say. "I'm just afraid that my dad isn't going to get mad that I'm not playing basketball."

"He'll get over it." He says.  
"Are you sure?" I ask.  
"Yeah, he's your dad first and foremost and I know that if he really loves you, he'll accept you for what you are." He says.

"That's true." I say.  
"Yeah, so don't worry about it." He says. "What does your mom think?"  
"I've briefly talked with her about it." I say. "Mostly we have just talked about going to Stanford."

"Oh, I didn't know that you were thinking about going there." He says.  
"Yeah, I hadn't told anyone else." I say.  
"Well, I know that you are definitely smart enough to get in, and I know that it would be a good opportunity for you." He says.  
"Thanks." I say. "You could get in too, you know." He lets out a laugh.

"You're being serious?" he asks.

"Yeah, Chris if you applied yourself, I can guarantee you would get in."

"Maybe in a million years."

"Fine, where are you thinking of going?"

"I'm not sure, I thought about U of A." He says.  
"That's a good school." I say. "And your dad went there."

"Yeah, he's been trying to talk me into going for years." He says.  
"But don't do something, just because that's what your dad wants." I say. "You should be able to make your own decisions."  
"I know, it's just hard to, being the only son in the house, I feel that my dad has this high expectation for me." He says.  
"Yeah, maybe your parents could have another kid." I say.  
"Yeah, I highly doubt that will happen." He says.  
"You never know." I say.  
"But that wouldn't help anyhow." He says.

"Why?" I ask.  
"I just wouldn't." He says.  
"Ok." I say with a smile. We continue talking for a while. After a while, we leave the coffee shop and go back to the school so that I can get my car.

"Well, I'll see you later." He says.  
"Alright, see yah." I say. I then get into my car and drive away. After a little bit I am back at my I walk in, no one is at home. I then go upstairs to my room to work on some homework. Once I am finished, I go downstairs, and find that no one is still home, and it's a little after seven. I then walk into the kitchen and see a note on the counter. That says :  
_Jess, I forgot to tell you that Zane has a soccer game tonight. We should be home around eight. Love you, mom._

Well that explains where they are, I thought. I then go into the living room and put in a movie to watch. At some point during the movie, I fall asleep. After what seems like a short amount of time, I feel a tap on the shoulder. I moan.  
"Jess, honey, how about you get up and go sleep in your bed." I hear my mom say.  
"What time is it?" I ask.  
"It's a little after nine." She says.  
"Ok, I'll just go to my room." I say. I then get up off the couch and go to my room. I then get all comfy in my bed and go to sleep. I didn't realize how tired I was until I fell right off to sleep. Before I know it, it is six o'clock in the morning and it is time for me to get up. I then get up out of my bed and start getting ready. Once I am ready, I go downstairs into the kitchen. I hear a familiar voice in the other room. So, I walk in there and see Chris standing there.  
"Chris, what are you doing here?" I ask. He then gives me a hug and says

"I thought that I would stop by and see my best friend." He says. "Is there a problem with that?"

"No, I just wasn't expecting you to come over." I say. "Do you want anything for breakfast?"

"I've already had something but thank you." He says.  
"Do you want some coffee?" I ask.  
"Sure, I'll come with you." He says. We then walk into the kitchen, and both of us get some coffee. "So, did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, but why are you asking?" I ask.  
"I don't know, I was just trying to make conversation." He says.  
"Oh, ok." I say. We both then drink some coffee and we engage in some small talk. Before either of us realize it, we have to go to school. "We probably should get going to school."

"Yeah, I guess that we should." He says. "How about I drive you."

"Ok, I would like that." I say. We then get into his car and go on to the school. A few hours pass by, and school eventually ends. I meet Chris in the parking lot.

"So, what do you want to do?" He asks.  
"It doesn't matter." I say. "If you have something that you need to do, don't feel obligated to hang out with me."

"I want to." He says. "I know that this is probably going to sound lame, but do you want to go to come over to my house and help me watch Emma."

"I would love too." I say. "Your sister is so sweet."

"Are you sure, you don't have to if you don't want to." He says. "I can take you home."

"No, it would be fun." I say.  
"Ok, well then, let's go." He says. We then get into his car and go to his house, which isn't too far from the school. When we get to the house, Chris' mom, Taylor is there with Emma. "Hey you two." Taylor says.  
"Hey Taylor." I say with a smile. She then gives me a hug.  
"I'm glad that you two got here when you did." She says. "I have to go to work for a little while, and I needed someone to watch Emma."

"Well, that's why I got Jess to help me." Chris says.  
"Good and thank you." She says. "I'll ya'll later."

"Alright." I say. She then leaves. Emma then walks over to me and leaps in my arms. "Hey sweet girl."

"Hey, I didn't know that you were coming." She exclaims with glee.

"I didn't know that I was either." I say. "So, what do you want to do?"  
"Would you color with me?" She asks. "Chris never will."  
"I do sometimes." Chris says defensively. I let out a little laugh.  
"Of course I will sweet girl." I say with a smile. "Chris, are you going to join us?"  
"I guess, but I'm not coloring anything with princesses on it." He says.  
"I'll be right back." Emma says. She then walks off to her room to get something.

"My sister, is so embarrassing." He says.  
"No, she is sweet." I say. "She's just so young."

"True." He says. Emma then walks back into the room with a handful of coloring books and some crayons in her hands. "I didn't bring you a princess coloring book." She says.  
"Thank you." Chris says. She then hands us each a coloring book and we sit at the table and start coloring. "I don't get how this is fun to you."

"Well, it is. Jess, told me that she likes to color." Emma says.  
"I'm just doing this because I love you, Emma." He says.  
"I love you too." She says. We then continue coloring for a little while. I then look at my phone and see a text from my dad saying that he would come get me from Chris' house.

"Chris, my dad said that he'll be here in a minute to come get me." I say.  
"I was hoping that you could stay longer, I could have taken you home." He says.  
"It's ok, he's already on his way." I say.  
"Oh, ok." He says.  
"I'm sorry, I didn't know that he was going to do that." I say.  
"It's ok." He says. "Can I talk to you in private for a second?"

"Yeah, but we're watching your sister." I say.

"She'll be fine for a minute." He says. We then walk off into another room. "So, I was wondering, would you like to go on a date with me tomorrow night?"

"Sure, I would love too." I say with a smile.

"Really." He says. "I was afraid that you would say no."

"Why would I say no, I have liked you for a while now, and I was hoping that at some point you would ask me out." I say.  
"That's funny." He says. "I've liked you for a while too, but I was scared to ask you, up until recently did I have the courage to ask you."

"Well, maybe it was just meant to be." I say.  
"You never know." He says.  
"So what time are you picking me up?" I ask.  
"I was thinking about six." He says.  
"Alright, that sounds like a date." I say. "We probably should go check on Emma."  
"I guess that you are right." He says. We then walk back to where Emma is at. I then see my dad standing there.

"Perfect timing." Dad says.  
"Yeah, where were you two?" Emma asks.  
"We needed to talk, in private." Chris says.  
"Oh, really." Emma says.  
"Yes, but now you will have your brother all to yourself." I say.  
"Yay!" Emma exclaims.  
"Bye, Chris." I say.  
"Bye, Jess." He says. "See you tomorrow, at six."

"See you tomorrow." I say. Dad and I then leave Chris' house.  
"So, what's going on between you two?" Dad asks.  
"Nothing." I say with a smile.  
"Uh huh." He says.  
"You're not buying it are you?" I ask.  
"Yeah, of course I am." He says. "It's not like I can tell when two people like each other. The only way that I would know that would be if I had fallen in love with someone myself, which I did. So yeah, tell me what's going on."

"Fine, he asked me out, and I said yes." I say with a smile.  
"Well, at least if you are going to go out with someone, he's a good guy." He says.  
"So you're fine with this, right?" I ask.  
"I guess, I just wasn't expecting you to grow up this quickly." He says.  
"Dad, you and I both know that no matter how old I get, I will always be your little girl." I say.  
"I know, and I love hearing you say that." He says. We then pull into our driveway and park in the garage. I walk inside and feel like I am floating on a cloud. I am so excited about finally going out on a date with Chris. It is so great knowing that all this time of liking him, finally paid off! It makes me feel great. I am so happy! I then go up to my room and change into my pajamas.  
Once I am done, I sit down on my bed. A second or two passes by and I hear a knock on the door. "Come in." I say.  
"Hey." Zach says. "So, what's making you so happy."

"Nothing, I'm always happy." I say.  
"Yeah, well I can tell when something good happens in your life, so why don't you just tell me before I figure it out for myself." He says.  
"Fine, because I know that you will keep on being persistent and driving me super crazy, so Chris asked me out." I say.  
"It's about time that he did." He says.  
"Did you know that he was?" I ask.  
"Yeah, he told me he was thinking about it, but was scared to do, and I told him to go for it." He says.  
"You are a good brother." I say. "So how are things going with you and Hannah?"

"About the same as they were before." He says.  
"Oh, that stinks." I say. "Why don't you just go for it and ask her out."

"Hey, my advice only works in situations like you and Chris." He says.  
"Well, why didn't you follow my advice?" I ask.  
"I don't know." He says. "I guess that I was scared to, that's all."

"It's ok, take it slow." I say. "Follow your heart. It usually works out well, trust me."

"And you have had so much experience." He says.  
"Ok, fine don't listen to me." I say. "Do what you want, I really don't care."

"I was kidding." He says.  
"Sure." I say with a smile. "I might just see if tomorrow she would like to come over and watch a movie." He says.  
"That would be an excellent idea, but make sure mom and dad are cool with it before you ask her." I say. "It could make things turn out pretty bad for you."

"I will, don't worry." He says.  
"Alright." I say.

"Well, I'm getting tired, so I'm going to go to bed." He says.

"Ok, well, I'll see you in the morning." I say. "Goodnight."  
"Night." He says. He then leaves my room. I still feel like I am floating on a cloud, I feel awesome! I can't wait for tomorrow! It is going to be a great day!


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey readers! Thank you for continuing to read my story. I'm sorry for the late update. I hope you will enjoy this next chapter. Please let me know if you have any comments or questions. I would love to hear from you!**

* * *

**Chapter Five: The Big Night**

I could barely sleep, I guess that I am full of excitement! I am going on my first date in just a few short hours. Finally, after tossing and turning for what seems like hours on end, I decided to get up. I glanced at the clock and it was only six o'clock. In about twelve hours, I will be going out with Chris! I then decide that I will go for a run, so I change into some running clothes and go down the stairs. I look around and see that no one is up, so I leave a note letting everyone know that I am going running and will be back after a little while.  
I then walk out of the house, and turn on my watch so that I can track my pace. I then take off, not too slow, or too fast. My breathing is under control and I am running at a steady pace. I can feel the cool autumn air running through my chocolate brown hair, and it feels pretty good. After a while of running, I make it to back to my house. I then hit my watch to stop it. My time is six thirty-six, for three miles making my overall time just a little shy of twenty minutes, which is pretty good. I probably could have run harder though, but I'll take it. I then walk inside the house, and no one is still up. I then make myself a cup of coffee and sit down at the bar and drink my cup of coffee. Once, I am done with my coffee, I go up the stairs to my bathroom and take a shower, so that I can get ready for the day. After I take my shower, I throw on some clothes and by now, it is almost seven thirty. I have a feeling that no one is up yet. I then go downstairs and see Zach standing in the living room.

"What are you doing up?" I ask.  
"I couldn't sleep; besides I have basketball practice at nine anyhow." He says. "What about you?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I went for a run a little over an hour ago." I say.

"Oh, I would have went running with you." He says.

"I didn't want to wake you up." I say.

"It would have been alright." He says.

"I'll remember that next time." I say.

"Good." He says. We then just continue carrying on small talk for a little while. Eventually mom wakes up and comes into the family room, where Zach and I are at.

"Hey, I didn't think that anyone was up yet." She says.

"I've been up for a while." I say.

"Usually you both are the last to get up." She says.

"That was only when I was in middle school." I say.

"Oh, true." She says.

"I knew that I had to get up for practice anyhow." Zach says.

"Doesn't Zane and Caleb need to get up too." She says.

"Yeah, but practice isn't until nine." He says.

"Well, it's already eight o'clock, so maybe you should wake them up." She says.

"Ok, I need to get ready anyhow." He says. He then walks off.

"So are you excited about your date?" She asks.

"Yes." I say. "I had a hard time sleeping last night."

"I know, the first date I had with your father, I was so excited that I actually ended up getting sick." She says.

"Are you sure you weren't nervous?" I ask.

"I was excited and at the same time nervous." She says.

"I am too." I say.

"Well, there's no reason to be." She says. "You have known each other since you were in diapers. You have been inseparable since the day you were born."

"I know, but there's something about going on a date that changes things." I say.

"Yeah, but at least you are going on a date with a good guy." She says.

"I know, and it just makes it better." I say.

"I know that you both will have a good time." She says. "Let's just hope that it isn't awkward."

"I don't think that it will." I say.

"I don't think so either, but you never know." She says with a smile.

"Thanks mom." I say.

"So, what are you going to wear tonight?" She asks.

"I don't know." I say.

"How about you and I have a girl's day, we can go shopping and get our nails done." She says.  
"I like that idea." I say.  
"Great, now go get ready because I was thinking that we leave in a little bit." She says. I then go to my room and start getting ready. I put on a purple long flowy top paired with black skinny jeans and a pair of Toms. I then apply a thin layer of makeup. I then take my curly hair out of a ponytail, and let it go natural today. I then grab my purse and put on some lip gloss for the finishing touch.  
Once I am ready, I go downstairs. I know that my mom isn't ready yet, so I wait for her in the family room. "Are you ready?" She asks a few minutes later.  
"Yes." I say.

"Alright, let's go." She says.

"What about the boys?" I ask.  
"Oh, your dad is going to take them to practice." She says.  
"Ok." I say. We then get into her car and head out for a day of shopping.

"So where is Chris taking you?" She asks.  
"I'm not sure." I say.  
"Well, then to play it safe I would do dressy casual." She says.  
"That's what I was thinking." I say.  
"Great minds think alike." She says. We both then laugh. We then walk into a store that we both like to go in.

"What do you think of this?" She says as she holds up a lavender floral printed dress.  
"It's ok, but I don't know." I say.  
"Ok, how about we hold onto it then." She says.

"There's only one in your size and it is really cute."

"Ok." I say. We continue looking around the store a little bit more. Eventually we find several outfits to try on.

"Alright, how about you try on this one first." My mom says as she hands me a black dress that is simple and form fitting.

"Ok." I say. I then slip on the dress and take a look at myself in the mirror. It looks pretty good, I think. "What do you think?"  
"That looks really good." She says.  
"I really like this one." I say.  
"Me too." She says. "But I have a feeling that your dad won't."

"Why?" I ask.  
"He doesn't want you to grow up." She says.  
"Oh." I say. "Well, I'll put it aside." "Ok." She says. I then try on more outfits, and finally I try on the lavender dress that my mom had picked out. It is similar to a dress that she had in high school, which is probably why she liked it so much. I've seen pictures of her wearing it, and she looked beautiful in it. I then look at myself in the mirror, and then walk out.  
"So, what do you think?" I ask.  
"I think that's it." She says.  
"Really?" I ask.  
"Yes, and I know that Chris will love it." She says.  
"Ok, I like it too." I say.

"Ok, good." She says. We continue shopping for a while and find some heels to go with the dress and a few other accessories as well. Mom even finds some things for herself. We then go and get our nails done. We both get a French manicure and pedicure.

"Thank you, for a wonderful day." I say with a smile.  
"You're more than welcome." She says. "Alright, so it's already two o'clock and he's coming to get you at six, right?"  
"Yeah." I say.

"Well, how about we have some coffee and then I'll help you get ready." She says.  
"Alright, that sounds like a plan." I say.

Mom then puts on a pot of coffee and we sit down and wait for it to finish brewing. "So, how did your dad act when he found out that you were going on a date?" She asks.

"He seemed ok with it." I say. "I think that if it had been anyone other than Chris he would have freaked out."  
"Yeah, I guess that with you being his little girl, he's going to be very protective of you." She says.  
"True." I say. The coffee then is done and we both get some and continue talking. After a little bit, we go into my room and my mom helps me get ready. She insists on putting on my makeup.  
Once she is done with that, she then fixes my hair. She leaves it natural but gently pulls back a few strands of my hair with bobby pins. I then put my dress and shoes on, and I then look at myself in the mirror and smile.  
"So what do you think?" She asks.  
"I like it." I say with a smile.

"You look beautiful." My dad says as he walks into my room.

"Thank you, dad." I say as I look back at him.  
"Chris is one lucky guy." He says. "But so am I. I have a beautiful daughter, and a beautiful wife." He then kisses my mom. It is sort of sweet that they still love each other after nearly twenty years of marriage. I think that it is romantic, I just hope that my marriage will be the same way.  
"Alright, well Chris will be here in about twenty minutes." Mom says. "So how about you go on downstairs and let your brother's see you."

"Ok." I say. I then walk downstairs, and Zach is the first one to see me. "Wow." Is all that can come out of his mouth.  
"Is that good or bad?" I ask.  
"It's good." He says. The other two then notice me.

"Jess, you look hot." Caleb says.

"Thank you." I say.  
"You look pretty, just like you always do." Zane says.  
"Awe, Zane." I say. "You are way too sweet." It is always great having brothers around, they'll tell you how you look, even if you look like a hot mess. It is sometimes good to have them tell me how I look.  
"So when is Chris coming?" Caleb asks.  
"Six." I say. I then sit down on the couch to wait for Chris to get here. I look at my phone and see that it is five fifty five. Ok, I think to myself, five more minutes and then I will be able to go on a date with Chris! "So where is he taking you?" Zach asks.  
"I'm not sure." I say.  
"Well, I hope that you both have a good time." He says.  
"I hope so too." I say.

"He better treat you right." Zach says.

"Zach, we've been friends for a very long time, I don't think that there is anything to worry about." I say.  
"These days you never know. " He says.  
"I think that everything will be alright." I say. I then get up to make sure my makeup looks alright and reapply lipstick. Once I am done, I go back into the family room. I then check my phone and see that it is a few minutes after six. "He's late." Zane says.  
"I know, but maybe he got caught in traffic." I say.  
"Maybe." Zach says.  
"I'll give him a few more minutes and then I will call him." I say.  
"I would call him now." Zane says.  
"I'm going to wait." I say. "But thank you for the advice." I continue talking with my brothers for a little while. I then glance at my phone again and it is six fifteen. I then get up and start pacing the room and I keep looking out the window hoping that he will pull into our driveway soon.

"You know pacing isn't going to make him come any quicker." Caleb says.  
"I know, but I'm just worried, that's all." I say.  
"He'll be here soon." Zach says. I then sit down for a second and take a deep breath. Maybe he just got into a lot of traffic, I keep telling myself over and over again. I then look out the window, and I see his car pull up in the driveway. Finally, I think. He kept me waiting for nearly a half an hour. "Hey Chris." I say as I open the door for him to come inside.  
"Sorry, I was late." He says. "I had a hard time deciding what to wear."

"Well, you look great." I say.  
"You look gorgeous." He says.  
"Thanks, Chris." I say.  
"So are you ready to go?" He asks.  
"Yeah." I say. I then tell my parents goodbye and we leave. "So where are we going?"

"You'll see." He says. "I think that you will like it."  
"I hope so." I say.  
"You will." He says. We then pull into a park. He then gets out and opens up the door for me. "Thank you." I say.  
"No problem." He says.  
"So what are we doing here?" I ask.  
"Follow me." He says. We then walk through the park a little bit until we reach a spot that has a blanket spread out and a basket. "So, what do you think?"  
"Did you do this all by yourself?" I ask.  
"Yes." He says. He then pulls out a small bouquet of flowers, and he hands them to me.  
"These are beautiful." I say.  
"I'm glad that you like them." He says.  
"I can't believe that you put all of this together." I say.  
"Why not?" He asks.  
"I don't know, most guys don't know how to put something together that is romantic." I say.  
"I try." He says. "I've been best friends with a girl my whole life, I think that she gave me a few ideas on romance."

"I taught you well." I say.  
"I'm glad that you feel that way." He says. We then enjoy the picnic that he put together for us. He did do a pretty good job I have to admit. "Are you ready to clean up? I was thinking that maybe we could go get some coffee and then just walk around for a little while.  
"That sounds like a great idea." I say with a smile. We then clean up and take the basket back to his truck. We then drive to a coffee shop and go inside and order some drinks. After we are done, we walk around in the heart of the town.  
"You are so pretty." He says.  
"Thanks Chris." I say. "I don't think that you have ever told me that before."

"I haven't?" He asks. "Well, I should have."

"It's alright, when people have grown up together people tend to miss things." I say.  
"I guess that you are right." He says. "What have you missed about me?"  
"I don't know?" I say.  
"Come on you have to think of something." He says.  
"Well at the moment you are being a little bit annoying." I say.  
"That's not what I meant." He says with a smile.  
"I know." I say. "Well, you do have a great smile."

"See, that's more of what I was looking for." He says. We then continue talking for a while. We actually have a great time just walking around and getting to know more about each other. "Well, I guess that we should be getting home."

"What time is it?" I ask.

"Almost ten." He says.

"It doesn't feel like it has been that long." I say.  
"I know what you mean." He says. "And I also know that your dad wants you home by ten."

"Ok, let's go then." I say. "I don't want him mad at me." We then get into his truck and we go back to my house. After a short drive we make it back to my house. "Thank you for a wonderful night."

'You are more than welcome." He says.  
"Do you want to come in?" I ask.  
"Maybe some other time." He says.  
"Ok." I say.  
"But, I'll walk you to the door." He says. He then opens the car door for me, and we walk to the front door. He then stops right in front of the door and looks into my eyes. "I have a question. Will you be my girlfriend?" It seems fast, but at the same time it seems like the perfect way to end a perfect date. I'm really excited to see what is to come from this.

"I would love too." I say. He then gives me a hug and leaves. He is so sweet and kind. I then walk inside the house, and I feel like I am floating on a cloud. I then see my mom and dad watching a movie together.  
"So how did the date go?" My dad asks.  
"It went well." I say. I then float up the stairs and go to my room. I'm so excited about how today went.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: Basketball and Kisses **

The next day after my date, I wake up with a smile on my face. Everything just seems more wonderful. I really think that I am falling in love with my best friend, and we have only gone on one date. I then get out of my bed and come downstairs. When I get down there, I see my brothers playing video games. Zach looks up, when I walk in the room. "You seem happy." He says.  
"I am." I say.  
"I'm guessing that everything went well last night." He says.  
"No, it was wonderful." I say as sit down on the couch.  
"I talked to Hannah last night." He says.  
"You did?" I ask. Aw, my little brother is growing up. It makes me so happy.  
"Yeah, and she's coming over this afternoon." He says.  
"Good job, little brother." I say as we high five.  
"Well, I did learn from the best." He says. He sure did.  
"Alright, enough of this weirdness that is going on between you two." Caleb says. "Zach are you still playing?"  
"No, I'm done." He says.  
"Alright then." Caleb says.  
"You can still play if you want to." I say to Zach.  
"I would rather talk to you." He says.  
"Ok." I say with a smile.

"Anyways, Hannah is coming over around three and we are going to watch a movie or something." He says.  
"That should be fun." I say. "I'll give you two your privacy, I can't say for the rest of the house."  
"She really wants to meet you, Jess." He says.  
"Really?" I ask.  
"Yeah." He says.

"Well I would love to meet her too." I say. We then continue to talk for a while. I really do enjoy spending time with my brothers. They mean a lot to me. I feel bad that next year, I won't be here for them. Hopefully they will manage without me for a short time. After a little bit, I go to my room and get ready for the day. I then glance at my phone and see that Chris is calling me, so I then answer.

"Hello." I say.  
"Hey, Jess." He says. "So, I was wondering if you would want to hang out today."

"I don't know." I say.

"Please, we could do whatever you wanted." He says.  
"How about you come over here." I say.  
"Ok, I can do that." He says.

"Alright, so when are you thinking about coming over?" I ask.  
"I was thinking in about an hour." He says.  
"That would be perfect." I say.  
"Alright, well I'll see you soon." He says.  
"Bye." I say. I then change my clothes and finish getting ready. I don't want to still be in my pajamas when he gets here. I then finish getting ready and then go downstairs to wait for Chris to get here. I only have to wait for a few minutes until I see his truck pull up in the driveway. I then get up from off of the couch and go to the door and let him in.

"Hey." I say as he walks in.  
"Hey." He says. "So, what do you want to do?"  
"I don't know, what do you want to do?" I ask. Then Zach and Caleb walk into the room.

"Hey, do you guys want to play basketball with us?" Zach asks.  
"I don't know." Chris says.  
"If you want to, it's fine." I say.  
"Ok." Chris says. "I'll play."  
"What about you, Jess?" Caleb asks.  
"I don't know." I say.

"Come on, you're really good." Chris says.

"But I don't want to," I say.

"Please," he says. "You can be on my team."  
"Oh, alright, but I need to change." I say.  
"You look fine." He says.

"I can't really play in skinny jeans." I say. "I'll be right back."

"Ok, take as long as you need." Chris says. I then walk off.  
"So, do you want to be on a team with Jess?" Zach asks.  
"Sure, but it really doesn't matter." Chris says. I then walk back into the room. "That was fast."

"It doesn't take that long to put on a t shirt, shorts, and a pair of shoes." I say.  
"True." He says. "Alright, so are you ready to play?"  
"Yes." I say. We then walk outside to play basketball.  
"Ok, so who gets the ball first?" Zach asks.  
"How about you flip a coin." I say.  
"That's a good idea." Caleb says. "Heads we go, tails you guys." He then pulls a quarter out of his pocket and flips it. It lands on tails.

"Yes, we get to go first." I say as I take the ball out of Caleb's hand. I then walk over to Chris.

"So, I'm just warning you, both of them are really good."

"I know, but I also know that you are really good, if not better than both of them combined." He says.  
"Chris, I'm not that good." I say.  
"We'll just have to see, now won't we." He says. He then takes the ball out of my hand and we start playing. After some time, the score is all tied up at 22 to 22. Hopefully, Chris and I will be able to beat them. They are starting to drive me crazy.

"Alright, next one to score wins." Caleb says.  
"Let's make it to the next person that makes it to 30 points." I say. "That's only four more baskets."

"I can count." Caleb says. "What do you say, Zach?"  
"That's fine." He says. "That was a good plan." Chris whispers in my ear. "And don't worry, I think that we can beat them." I just smile and we continue our game. I make the next basket for our team, and then Chris gives me a high five. We keep on playing for a bit longer. I have to admit, Caleb and Zach are really playing hard. The score is really close at 26 to 28. If we make another basket we will win, but if they do then the game will be tied. I really sort of want this game to be over, I'm starting to get tired. I have the ball in my hand, and I dribble it down the court. I am almost blocked by Caleb, but I pass the ball to Chris from underneath Caleb's legs. I then take off to the basket and Chris passes me the ball. I then go in for a layup, and the ball gets pushed out of my hand by Zach. I then run down the court and attempt to steal the ball, but am unable to, Chris even tries and can't. Zach then passes the ball to Caleb and Caleb makes a basket, we are all then tied up at 28. The next person who scores will win.  
My dad then walks outside and says, "Guys, I hate to break up this game, but Zach there is a young lady in the house that is looking for you. She said that her name is Hannah."

"Oh, Hannah." Zach says. "Shoot! I almost forgot that she was coming over." He then runs inside.

"Well, I guess that we will have to finish this game some other time." Caleb says.  
"Were you guys almost done?" Dad asks.  
"Yeah, we were tied." I say.  
"Oh, that stinks." He says. "If you want to start another game, I'll play with you guys."

"Ok, I'm game." Caleb says. "What about the love birds?"  
"Caleb." I say.  
"It's ok, Jess." Chris says. "So, do you want to play another game?"  
"Um, I guess, but just a short one." I say.  
"Ok, then." Dad says. We then start another game. In the end, Chris and I end up winning. "You guys played a good game."  
"Thanks." I say.  
"I'm surprised that we didn't beat them, dad." Caleb says.  
"Well, sometimes you'll win, and sometimes you won't, it's just the way it is." Dad says. "And besides, we can always rematch later and try to beat them."

"Someone is competitive." I say. We all then go inside the house, to cool down. I then go grab a bottle of water out of the fridge. "Chris, do you want one?"

"Sure." He says. I then grab one and toss it to him.

"So, you'll do things for him, but not me." Caleb says.

"Well, do you want a water?" I ask.  
"No, thanks though." He says.  
"You're so weird." I say. I then take a sip of my water. "So, do you want to watch a movie?" I ask Chris.  
"I was thinking that maybe we could go do something." He says.  
"Chris, I feel all gross." I say. "I need to take a shower."  
"Ok, I can wait." He says.  
"Alright, just give me a few minutes." I say. I then go upstairs to take a shower. After about a half an hour, I am almost ready to go. I then pull my hair into a loose ponytail and put on some lip gloss. I then go downstairs and see Chris waiting in the family room on the couch talking to my dad. I then sneak up behind him and put my hands over his eyes. "Guess who." I say.  
"Jess." He says. He then gets a hold of me and flips me over the couch.

"Be careful." I say as I laugh.

"I knew that you would like that." He says.

"And you are right." I say as I snuggle up against him.  
"So are you ready to go?" He asks.  
"I guess." I say.  
"Where are we going?" I ask.  
"I was thinking about us getting some coffee." He says.  
"Ok, let's go then." I say. We both then get up and go to his truck. "I'm sorry that I left you with my dad."

"Oh, it was fine." He says. "We both enjoy talking about basketball."  
"Well, I'm glad then." I say with a smile.

"Now, how about we go and get some coffee." He says.  
"Sounds like a plan." I say. We finally make it to a coffee place, and we get out and go inside. He then opens the door for me. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He says. We then walk inside the store and order. We then sit down at a table and wait for our drinks.

"So, the first game of the season is on Tuesday." I say. "Do you think that you are ready?"  
"I think so." He says. "I guess that I will have to be, I mean with my dad coaching and everything."

"Yeah, and the fact that you are captain." I say.  
"Who told you that." He says.  
"Your mom." I say.  
"I didn't want anyone to know that." He says.  
"I think that it is awesome." I say. "Your dad was captain."

"I know, but I wanted to be different." He says.  
"And you can be." I say. "You just have to go out and do it."

"It's easier said than done." He says.  
"Believe me, I know." I say. "Even though my dad knows that I don't want to go pro, I feel like he still is holding on to that dream."

"He may be, but just do what you want for a change instead of what everyone else expects." He says.  
"I guess that you are right." I say.  
"I know that I am right." He says. "Excuse me, I am going to get our drinks." He then walks off for a second. After a brief moment, he comes back with our drinks in his hand. "Here you go."

"Thanks." I say. I then take a sip of my coffee. "Chris, I love how you know how to give the best advice."  
"Thanks, I didn't think that I gave that great advice." He says.  
"You do though." I say.

"I guess that I got it from my mom." He says.  
"I'm sure that you did." I say. "My mom says that if it hadn't been for your mom, that my parents might not be together."

"Yeah, she knows when something is wrong, sometimes before even the person does." He says.  
"She's so smart." I say.  
"Yeah, she really is." He says. We then continue talking for a while. "So, are you ready to go?"  
"I guess." I say. "Especially since we have school in the morning."

"Yeah, I wish that we didn't have school tomorrow." He says.

"Me too." I say. We then leave and go back to my house. "Thank you."

"It's no problem." He says. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow." He then leans in and kisses my cheek.

"Goodbye." I say. I then get out of his car and go into the house.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: The Last First Game of the Season**

I wake up with anticipation, tonight is the first night of my final season of basketball. It is sort of exciting. I am more excited to watch Chris play, but it will still be fun.  
I then get out of bed and get ready for school. I decide to put on my red dress to show school spirit. I then straighten my naturally curly hair and put on a light amount of makeup. I then put on a pair of heels and then finish up. Once I am done, I go downstairs and see my dad sitting in the family room watching the news, boring I think to myself. I then go to find my mom, who is in the kitchen. "Hey, mom." I say.  
"Hey, you look nice this morning." She says.  
"Thanks." I say.  
"So are you ready for tonight?" She asks.  
"I guess so." I say.  
"You will do great out there tonight." She says.  
"I hope so." I say.  
"You will." She says as she gives me a hug. "Thank you." I say as I get some coffee. "Mom, do you want anymore?"  
"No, thank you though." She says.  
"Ok, so you're coming to the game, right?" I ask.  
"Yeah, I wouldn't miss it for the world." She says.  
"Good." I say with a smile.

"Do you want anything to eat?" She asks.  
"No, I'm fine." I say.  
"You need to eat something." She says. "How about some fruit."  
"Ok, that will be fine." I say. She then gets some fruit out of the refrigerator and puts it into a bowl. She then hands it to me. "Thank you."

"You are welcome." She says. We then continue talking for a while.

"Well, I guess that I need to get going to school." I say.  
"Ok." She says. "Are you coming home before the game?"  
"I should be." I say.  
"Ok, I just wanted you to have time to relax." She says.  
"I will, don't worry." I say.  
"Ok, well, I'll see you later." She says. I then leave and get into my car and head to school. When I get there the entire school is decorated with school colors. It looks really awesome! I then walk to my first period class. The rest of the day, goes by pretty fast. As the game becomes closer and closer, I get more and more nervous. Fortunately, I am able to come home to get away from all of the school. I need some time to my self.  
When I get home, I get a bottle of water and sit down for a minute. I then turn on the television for a minute, but I flip through all of the channels and there is nothing good on, so I turn it off and go to my room and listen to music instead. After some time has passed, I start getting ready for the game. Once I am ready, I go downstairs and realize that I still have a few more minutes until I have to leave to be at the school. I then hear the phone ring.  
so I answer it. "Hello." I say.  
"Hey, this is Albuquerque OBGYN, I am calling to remind Gabriella Bolton that she has an appointment scheduled for Friday at eleven o'clock." The other line says. It is one of those automated phone calls. I then hang up once I hear the message. I wonder what my mom is going there for. Is she pregnant? Questions like that come racing through my head. I guess that I will need to ask her at some point, but I don't know how to. I then look at the time and realize that I need to be at the school, so I get into my car and head over to East High. Once I get there, I go straight to the locker room where the rest of the team is supposed to meet at, but I am the only one in here. I then look around, and find my dad standing there.

"Hey, dad." I say.  
"Hey, sweetheart." He says.  
"Where's the rest of the team?" I ask.  
"Hopefully on their way." He says. "We are supposed to play in half an hour."

"Yeah, that's why I got here when I did." I say.  
"I also like the fact that you are already ready." He says.  
"I figured that's what you would prefer." I say.  
"Smart move." He says. "So, are you ready?"  
"I think so." I say.  
"Not to make you nervous, but I have you playing a big majority of the game because there are some college scouts coming to watch you play tonight." He says.  
"Oh, why don't you let someone else get in more playing time?" I ask.  
"You are one of our better players, and we need you tonight especially." He says. "We are playing West High our rival."

"I know, and I think that we can beat them." I say.  
"I like that optimism." He says. Then Emily comes walking in. "Good, at least now we have two players."

"Jess, are you the only one here?" She asks.  
"Yeah." I say.  
"Hopefully the rest of the team will be here." She says.  
"I know, I'm beginning to be worried." Dad says.  
"Coach, you are worried?" Emily asks.  
"Just a little." He says. "This is my first year of coaching—I was only an assistant coach the past couple of years and I'm beginning to wonder if that was such a good idea."

"You are doing great." Emily says.  
"Thank you, Emily." He says. "Both of you are definitely going to be starters."

"Really?" She asks. "I've never started in a game."

"Well, you will tonight." He says. "You've improved a lot since tryouts."

"Thanks coach." She says.  
"No problem." He says. Sometime has gone by and finally the rest of the team has arrived. My dad then walks back into the locker room to give us a pep talk before the game.

"Alright, team this is our first game of the season. I know that most of you are nervous, but I know that if you all give everything that you have, you will do great. And whether we win, or lose, we are all still a team. I want you guys to go out there and have fun. Now let's go out there and kick some Knight butt." He says. "Now what team?"

"Wildcats." We chant back.  
"What team?" He says again.  
"Wildcats." We say again. "Wildcats, get your head in the game."

We all then run out onto the court. "Ok, here's tonight's lineup." He says. "Jackson, Bolton, Harper, Reid, Villa, and Prescott." We then go out there and start the game. I am happy to start the season off right. Hopefully we will win. That would be really nice.  
Emily starts off at tip off. We are then able to get the ball and I take off down the court and score the first goal. The crowd roars. By the end of the second quarter the score is tied 14 to 14. We then all go to the locker room to get some water and regroup.  
"Alright, girls, you have shown great effort, and West High has a good team this year. I think that in order for us to beat them we all are going to have to give more effort." My dad says. The team then sits down for a second. My dad motions for me to come over to him, so I get up and come over to him.  
"What's up?" I ask.  
"Ok, so how are you feeling?" He asks.  
"Fine, why?" I ask.  
"What I mean is, do you feel up to playing the next two quarters?" He asks.  
"Um, I can play most of it, but I will need to get out for a little while." I say.  
"Ok, I can do that, I just feel like we need you to help us win." He says. "But I only wanted you, if I knew that you felt up to it. Otherwise it wouldn't be worth it."

"I understand." I say.  
"Try to get some rest, we will be using you a lot for the remainder of the game." He says. I then sit down for the remainder of the fifteen-minute half time that we have. I really wish that I wasn't all that good, I wasn't prepared to play all four quarters. But I am willing to play. We then start the third quarter. I end up playing about half of that quarter. I then end up playing all of the fourth quarter. We are down to the final seconds of the game we are winning by one point, but it would be good to score a few more. I then steal the ball from the other team.  
I then take off down the court. I am running strong, its down to ten seconds. My heart is beating as I go up to make the final layup of the game. I leap in the air, and my form is perfect. While still in the air, I get knocked by another player and I fall to the ground. I hear something in my leg snap. That doesn't sound too good.  
I instantly feel pain shooting through my left leg. I think that I may have broken it, but I really do not know. I try to get up, but the pain is too much for me to bare. Next thing I know, my dad and the AT rush onto the court. The game is over, and luckily, I made that layup. "Are you alright?" My dad asks.  
"I don't know." I say. He then tries to move my leg. I wince in the pain.

"I think that it may be broke." He says. "The way you landed was pretty bad."

"I know, I got tripped up by someone." I say.  
"If it hadn't been at the end of the game you would have had a foul shot." He says.  
"I doubt that it would have done any good." I say. "Hey, on the bright side, at least you made that layup." He says.  
"But most likely I'll be out for most of the season." I say.  
"It's alright." He says. "I can probably talk the college scouts into coming back later in the season."  
"Wait there were scouts at this game?" I say.  
"Yeah, I didn't want to tell you, because I knew that you would get nervous." He says.  
"I bet that they are going to think that I am clumsy." I say.  
"They won't." He says. "How about we get you off of the court and get you to the ER just to make sure that you'll be alright."  
"Ok." I say.  
"Do you think that you can stand up?" He asks. He then tries to help me up and I stand for a brief second, and then almost fall. He then picks me up and carries me out to his truck in front of the school. "Just wait right here, and I'll be right back."

"It's not like I can go anywhere." I say. He then runs into the school. Chris then comes out the door.

"Are you alright?" He asks.  
"I think that I will be." I say. My leg hurts so bad, but I hold back tears.  
"You're going to get it x-rayed right?" He asks.  
"Yeah, my dad thinks that I broke it." I say. "Especially since there is a gigantic bruise on my leg."

"Oh, that looks pretty bad." He says.  
"Chris, you need to get inside, you have a game starting soon." I say.  
"I know, but I would rather be with you." He says.  
"Chris, you need to play." I say.  
"The whole game I will be thinking about you." He says.  
"Please do something for me." I say.  
"What?" He asks.  
"Go out there and play the best that you can." I say.  
"I will." He says. "I'll be out there playing for you." I then smile.  
"I'll text you when we find out anything." I say.  
"Ok, thank you." He says.

"Now, go out there and win ok." I say.  
"I'll do my best." He says. "The Knights have a good team this year."  
"But so do the Wildcats." I say. "You've got this, I believe in you."  
"Thanks." He says. "I'm glad that you have my back."

"Who else's would I have." I say. "Now, go inside before you miss your game."  
"Ok, I'll see you later." He says. He then runs inside the school. I then let the tears that I had been holding back form. I can't hold them in any longer. The pain is almost too much to bear. A moment passes and then my mom comes out to my dad's car. "Hey, sweetie." She says. "Do you need any Tylenol or anything?" I nod my head for yes. She then pulls out a bottle from her purse and hands me one and a bottle of water. "I figured that you would need something."

"Thank you." I say after I take the pill.  
"It's no problem, it is what moms are for." She says.

"Are we about to leave?" I ask.  
"Yeah." She says. "Your dad went to get his stuff and your stuff too."  
"Oh, ok." I say.

"Chris was worried about you." She says.  
"I know, he came out here and it took everything for me to get him to go inside." I say.  
"He just cares about you." She says.  
"I know, but I will be alright." I say. "All that I did was probably break a bone."

"I know, but the way you fell, was pretty bad." She says.  
"I barely remember how it happened." I say. "It all happened so fast."

"I know." She says. Within a few minutes, my parents and I head to the nearest hospital, which is about a ten-minute drive from the school. We get checked into the ER and surprisingly, it is a slow night and they are able to take me back to an examining room right away.  
We are able to get an x-ray right off the bat. I then am sitting in an examining room awaiting the results of the x-ray. "How are the boys playing?" I ask. I know that Chad is giving my dad updates on the game.  
"Right now, they are losing." Dad says.  
"By how much?" I ask.  
"A lot." He says. "Chad had to take Chris out of the game, because he isn't focused."

"Maybe I should call him during half time and let him know that everything is alright." I say.  
"That would be a good idea." He says.  
"I of course want to know what the doctor has to say first." I say.  
"Yeah, because you know that he will want to know exactly what is going on." My mom says.  
"Yeah, that's Chris for you." I say. Then the doctor walks into the room.

"Alright, do you want the good news or the bad news first?" The doctor asks.  
"Good news." I say.  
"Ok, well you won't need to have surgery." She says. "But you did suffer a pretty bad fracture of your tibia."

"Ok, so what's next then?" Dad asks.  
"Well, Mr. Bolton, as you can see from the x-ray it is a bad fracture, it's what is called a-"  
"Spiral fracture of the tibia." My dad finishing her sentence.  
"Exactly, how did you know that?" She asks.  
"I've had a break just like this when I was in the tenth grade." He says.  
"Well, then I'm sure that what I am about to say you will understand very well." She says. "Well, Jessica we are going to start you off with a cast, but I need for some of the swelling to go down, so for a couple of days I want you to wear a splint, and keep your leg elevated, and stay off of it as much as you can, which shouldn't be too hard given the amount of pain that you are in. Then let's say on Friday you will come back into my office, I'll go ahead and get an appointment set up, and we will put a cast on, that you will have on for several weeks and you may have to have physical therapy depending on how things heal up. Do you have any questions?"  
"Will I be able to play basketball?" I ask.  
"We'll see, fortunately you are pretty active." She says. "Maybe you'll get to play at least the last game of the season. Alright, so we're going to get that splint put on and then you can leave. I will also go ahead and get the appointment set up for you." She then walks out of the room.  
"At least it's my left leg." I say.  
"What difference does that make?" My mom asks.  
"At least I can drive." I say.  
"True." My dad says. My mom and dad then leave the room for a minute to get appointments set up. I then decide to call Chris since I am almost positive it is half time.

"Hey, are you okay?" he quickly asks.

"I'm fine, Chris. It's just a break. It's not a big deal."

"But you really hurt yourself."

"Chris, I'm fine. I don't need surgery. Everything is going to be okay. I just won't get to play for the majority of the season."

"I'm sure you're happy about that."

"Actually, I'm kind of bummed."

"Why? I thought you didn't want to play."

"Knowing I can't, makes me mad."

"You're one strange woman." I laugh

"So, how's the game going?"

"We're losing by thirty."

"That sucks. Have you played any?"

"Nope. My dad won't let me. He said that my heads not in the game, so I'm benched for right now."

"Get it together Danforth," I say in an authoritative coach voice.

"But I'm worried about you."

"Don't be. I'll be good. I hate that I'm missing the game. But if you guys are losing by that much, I guess I'm doing the right thing by not being there. I don't like rooting for losers."

"It's hard to play knowing that my best friend is injured."

"You better get it together. I don't want my boyfriend being the loser of the basketball team."

"I would rather be with you."

"Well, you're not, so get over it and go out there and kick some Knight butt."

"Okay. I'll talk to you later." I then hang up with Chris. Maybe he'll be okay. I can't stand for him to be like this. After a little bit, I then get the splint and have an appointment set up for Friday at two o'clock and we then leave the hospital and head home. When we get to the house, my dad picks me up and carries me into the house and places me on the couch. "Where are Zach, Caleb and Zane?" I ask.  
"Chris, said that he would bring them home after the game." He says. "Which just ended."  
"How did they do?" I ask.  
"They did alright." He says. "I'm sure that Chris will tell you."

"I'm sure that he will." I say. I then prop my leg up on the ottoman that is in front of the couch. "Do you need anything?" My mom asks.  
"I'm fine right now." I say. "Thank you though."  
"You're welcome." She says. My dad then walks off for a minute, and I am there with just my mom.

"Mom, I almost forgot to tell you." I say. "The doctor's office called to confirm your appointment for Friday at eleven."

"Thank you." She says. "I almost forgot."  
"Is everything alright?" I ask.  
"Yes, sweetheart, there is no reason to worry." She says.  
"Ok." I say. "You're not pregnant, are you?" I say in a whisper.

"What would make you think that?" She asks.  
"I don't know, I was just curious." I say.  
"Can you keep a secret?" She asks.  
"Sure." I say.  
"I'm pregnant." She says.  
"You are?" I ask.  
"Yes." She says. "How far along are you?" I ask.  
"About two months along." She says. "I just found out about two weeks ago."

"That's awesome." I say. "Have you told dad yet?"  
"No, that's why you need to keep it a secret." She says. "I was going to wait until his birthday, which is in two weeks, to tell him."  
"Ok, I can definitely do that. " I say.

"I was hoping that you could." She says with a smile. Chris and my brothers then walk in the door of the house.

"Hey, how are you?" Chris asks.  
"Better." I say. "I'm not in nearly as much pain, the medicine worked."

"That's good." He says. "Wait, hold up, you took medicine, I thought that you never would take any?"  
"I needed it really bad." I say.  
"You must have." He says. "So, are you staying out tomorrow?"  
"Yeah, and I might stay out Thursday and Friday as well." I say. "I have to go to the doctor on Friday to get a cast put on."  
"Oh, well I completely understand needing to do that." He says.  
"I'm glad that you do." I say. My mom then leaves the room. "So, how did the game go?"  
"We won, barely though." He says.  
"I guess that my phone call worked after all." I say.  
"Yeah, it did." He says. "I actually scored some tonight. Fortunately, there weren't any scouts in the crowd."

"Be glad, there were some at my game." I say.  
"Oh, well you played really well out there tonight." He says.  
"Up until the last few seconds." I say.  
"It's alright, we all have our slip ups in life." He says. "Yours just ended up being literal."

"That's not funny." I say.  
"Sure it is." He says. "I bet you later in life you will look back on this and laugh."

"I doubt it." I say with a smile.  
"At least it got you smiling." He says.  
"Yeah." I say. "I can always count on you for a smile."

"Yes, you can." He says. "Well, it's getting kind of late, so I'm going to go, I'll see you later."

"Alright." I say. "See ya." He then leaves. I then attempt to get up to go to the bathroom but am having a hard time getting up. Fortunately, my mom walks into the room and helps me get to the bathroom. I hate having to have help for everything, but I guess that I will have to get used to it. It won't be that bad having help, I think to myself.


End file.
